


Peace Room

by parkwaybeth



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 04:17:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/807139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkwaybeth/pseuds/parkwaybeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tris can’t sleep and likes going for walks at night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peace Room

It was difficult sleeping amongst other people when she’d gone her whole life alone.

In Abnegation, it had been simple; she had always gone to bed at the same time – 10pm – along with her brother, and slept in a separate room to him. She fell asleep in a nearly blank room, with no pictures or objects she was fond of. Just 4 blank walls, some clothes and a clean floor. Back then, she didn’t hate it because she didn’t know much else, but now she had had a taste of this life, sleeping with boys and sleeping in just a t-shirt, she couldn’t imagine going back.

Tris felt stupid. Where the other initiates were excited about throwing knifes and living recklessly, she was lying awake at night getting excited about sleeping in the same room as other people.

It was dumb, to her.

Christina was in the bed on her left, with her dark skin and long legs that Tris would die for. To her right was Will, all blonde hair and blue eyes and prettiness. She felt like she was in the middle of something by lying where she was, and had offered to switch with Christina, only to be turned down.

She had always hated sleeping alone. Looking back, she supposed she didn’t know what she wanted, or what she disliked about the loneliness, but now – sharing a room with 15 other people – she saw that she was missing comfort. But even though she enjoyed the solidarity of people around her, she still wasn’t comfortable.

Everyone around her was asleep, so when she slipped her pale legs out of the bed, she did so quietly. Not caring about the cramps she was getting, she walked on the tips of her toes as to not wake anyone up as she headed for the door. It’s a difficult task, she thinks, as she steps on one particularly weak floorboard and winces as it creaks loudly. Tris turns around, only to see all the initiates sleeping as they were before.

She checks the corridor before stepping out – God help her if Eric happened to be passing by – but luckily for her, there was no one in sight. Tris hadn’t thought to get changed before leaving the room, and it would have been difficult to dress without waking anyone, but the cool air on her bare legs kind of made her regret the decision. She was only wearing a baggy t-shirt that Christina had lent her, and it barely reached her mid-thighs. It was very un-Tris, and she couldn’t help but feel completely naked with it on.

Too late now.

Silently, with all the grace of a ballet dancer, she crept down the corridor until she saw the end, the light peeking through the slightly open door. She cautiously pushed it open and stuck her head out once again, taking in the unfamiliar garden. She didn’t even mind that it was indoors (obviously – she was in Dauntless, after all); it was a garden, with green grass and trees and flowers and even a bench. It looked so out of place in a faction like this, and she didn’t understand how she’d never been here before.

Tris silently moved over to the single bench in the middle of what looked like a field, dropping down onto it slowly, as if it would break under her weight. Luckily, it didn’t, and she felt herself relax into the detailed wood.

She’s confused. Why would a place like this be in a place like the Dauntless compound? And why hadn’t anyone seen it?

But at that very moment, she didn’t care. She just cared about the swaying trees and the aura of calm swimming around her.

“Isn’t a bit late for you to be up?” 

She didn’t even try to mask her surprise at the familiar voice from behind her. She even screeched a little at the deep voice, disturbing her peace – she knew he would scold her for letting her defences down, or some bullshit like that, but she didn’t care. 

As per usual.

“You could have at least coughed.” Tris told him, before settling comfortably back into her seat. She was still surprised when he set down next to her, his hand resting not too far on the bench away from hers.

He smirked slightly – she thought it was weird to see him like that, out of the trainer mask he usually wore. “Where would the fun in that have been?” 

“I’ve never been one to care about fun.” She replied, looking straight out over the field. “What even is this place?”

He sighed and lent back against the back of the bench, one hand at the back of his neck and the other resting just next to hers.

“No one is meant to find it until they’re actual members of Dauntless, but I guess someone forgot to lock it up today. We call it the Peace Room. I hope there’s no explanation needed there. But it was built by some kids who had just been initiated, who were kind of stressing out about everything. They asked for permission to build this place, and we let them. Turned out to be a pretty decent idea, even if none of it’s real. A lot of us just come in here to calm down and unwind, or just for a walk. It’s very un-Dauntless, and Eric didn’t like it, but hey – it’s pretty, right?”

Tris thought the entire scenario was weird – here she was, sitting beside a Dauntless leader, and he was talking to her like she was an old friend. He didn’t talk like this to anyone she’d seen, and it made her slightly uncomfortable.

“Yeah, it’s a good idea.”

“What are you wearing, by the way?” He asked, chuckling under his breath in a very not-Four kind of way.

Looking down, Tris saw the low-cut baggy top, and pulled it down so it covered more of her legs. “Christina lent it to me, it’s not mine.” She told him, as if that was meant to justify the reason she was dressed as she was.

“As long as you don’t wear it to training, I’m okay with it. And you never answered me, what are you doing here?”

“I’m not used to sleeping in a room with people. That’s what it’s like in Abnegation – you sleep in a room on your own, with no one else ever. It’s weird lying next to someone for me, and I don’t know if I like it or not so I went for a walk and found this place.”

She noticed a slightly knowing look on his face, and he nodded knowingly, but she didn’t really know why.

“I had the same problem when I came here. Not exactly the same, but I hated sleeping in the same room as people who could potentially die in a few weeks, or become Factionless. Or even people that could kill me. I’m sure it’s pretty difficult for you, sleeping in a room with Peter. That’s how it was for me. I was pretty much constantly at the top of the scoreboard, and everyone hated me for that, and I was terrified someone would murder me while I slept. So I went for walks.”

Tris had no idea why he was telling her all this. It was awfully strange for a Dauntless to tell someone stories of their past – after all, initiates are meant to leave their pasts behind – but she was glad he was; it kind of made her feel as though he was human.

“It’ll get better, Tris.” He told her, and moved the hand that was resting next to hers, over hers, interlacing their fingers. She stiffened at the contact, and didn’t relax until he applied some pressure, squeezing gently, comfortingly, warmly.

She didn’t know why she liked it, but she did.


End file.
